As of result of its world-class reputation for excellence in pediatric medicine, Toronto's SickKids Hospital won the contract to set up a new children's hospital in Qatar over other leading health-care organizations in the United States, Europe and Australia.
Not only does this 5 year contract confirm Canada's stellar health care system, it also shows how Canadian hospitals have free reign to innovate to better the services they provide. This contract will raise significant revenue for SickKids Hospital. The clincher is that money raised through selling expertise gets plowed back into the hosptial, not into profits. What many critics of Canadian health care don't realize is that Canadian hospitals and doctors are NOT part of the public sector. Just because medical treatment is covered by a single payer insurance system doesn't mean they are public sector. Hospitals like SickKids are not-for-profit foundations which is what will be set up in Qatar.
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Sick Kids has long earned praise for saving lives and healing children here at home. Now, the Hospital for Sick Children is taking its winning ways abroad – and also earning much needed revenue – by securing a valuable contract to set up a major new pediatric facility in the oil-rich emirate of Qatar.
By melding its medical expertise and managerial experience, Sick Kids outbid several American, Australian and European rivals in the competition to advise on a state-of-the-art children's hospital. Part of the appeal was the Canadian hospital's corporate culture, which emphasizes patient care and staff professionalism in a child-friendly atmosphere.
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The sales contract in Qatar is a credit to Sick Kids, but also a reminder to other centers of excellence in Canada that they need to market themselves abroad. For Sick Kids, its expertise was a key selling point, but such expertise doesn't just sell itself. It requires marketing know-how, persistence, and vision.
Ontario's economy is facing major structural changes, with industrial production declining at a time of growing health costs. We need to work harder on the knowledge industries that will pay dividends in future. We need to think smart to maintain our economic health. In short, the Sick Kids coup in Qatar is just the kind of tonic we need.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/762936--exporting-sick-kidssnip
"When dollars get tight, if you want to be innovative and continue to be one of the top hospitals in the world, you have to get creative," said Mary Jo Haddad, Sick Kids' chief executive officer.
Long pursued by American hospitals, the international health-care market is increasingly open to Canada because of the country's global image and health-care expertise, Haddad added.
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"Other countries are looking to Canada to be more active in international health care. I could be doing this in 10 other countries given the number of requests I've had over the past few years. We're starting slowly and cautiously.
Sick Kids said it could not disclose the value of the contract, but Haddad described it as "significant."
The Toronto hospital's annual budget is about $900 million, with nearly two-thirds of that funded by government and the rest from philanthropic activities and commercial agreements.
Proceeds from the deal will help finance projects at home, Haddad added
"The revenue from this contract goes back into the operations of this (Sick Kids) hospital for new technology and capital equipment," she said before heading to Qatar for Sunday's official contract signing.
http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/healthcaresystem/article/762014--sick-kids-to-set-up-hospital-in-qatar
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